Sec. 60501. Emergency soil health and income protection pilot program
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/bill/116/hr/6800/ih/section-60501A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
In this section, the term eligible land means cropland that— is selected by the owner or operator of the land for proposed enrollment in the pilot program under this section; and as determined by the Secretary, had a cropping history or was considered to be planted during each of the 3 crop years preceding enrollment. The Secretary shall establish a voluntary emergency soil health and income protection pilot program under which eligible land is enrolled through the use of contracts to assist owners and operators of eligible land to conserve and improve the soil, water, and wildlife resources of the eligible land.
Eligible land may be enrolled in the program under this section through December 31, 2021. A contract described in subsection
(b)shall— be entered into by the Secretary, the owner of the eligible land, and (if applicable) the operator of the eligible land; and provide that, during the term of the contract— the lowest practicable cost perennial conserving use cover crop for the eligible land, as determined by the applicable State conservationist after considering the advice of the applicable State technical committee, shall be planted on the eligible land; subject to paragraph (4), the eligible land may be harvested for seed, hayed, or grazed outside the primary nesting season established for the applicable county; the eligible land may be eligible for a walk-in access program of the applicable State, if any; and a nonprofit wildlife organization may provide to the owner or operator of the eligible land a payment in exchange for an agreement by the owner or operator not to harvest the conserving use cover. Except as provided in paragraph (4)(B)(ii), the annual rental rate for a payment under a contract described in subsection
(b)shall be $70 per acre. At the request of the owner and (if applicable) the operator of the eligible land, the Secretary shall make all rental payments under a contract entered into under this section within 30 days of entering into such contract. A contract described in subsection
(b)shall provide that, during the term of the contract, the Secretary shall pay, of the actual cost of establishment of the conserving use cover crop under paragraph (1)(B)(i), not more than $30 per acre. Except as provided in subparagraph (B), each contract described in subsection
(b)shall be for a term of 3 years. The Secretary may terminate a contract described in subsection
(b)before the end of the term described in subparagraph
(A)if the Secretary determines that the early termination of the contract is appropriate. An owner and (if applicable) an operator of eligible land enrolled in the pilot program under this section may terminate a contract described in subsection
(b)before the end of the term described in subparagraph
(A)if the owner and (if applicable) the operator pay to the Secretary an amount equal to the amount of rental payments received under the contract. The harvesting for seed, haying, or grazing of eligible land under paragraph (1)(B)(ii) outside of the primary nesting season established for the applicable county shall be subject to the conditions that— with respect to eligible land that is so hayed or grazed, adequate stubble height shall be maintained to protect the soil on the eligible land, as determined by the applicable State conservationist after considering the advice of the applicable State technical committee; and with respect to eligible land that is so harvested for seed— the eligible land shall not be eligible to be insured or reinsured under the Federal Crop Insurance Act ( 7 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.); and the annual rental rate for a payment under a contract described in subsection
(b)shall be $52.50 per acre. Not more than 5,000,000 total acres of eligible land may be enrolled under the pilot program under this section. There is appropriated, out of any funds in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.
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Sec. 60501
Emergency soil health and income protection pilot program
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